Apple's mistakes on iPhone in India

Apple's iPhone is great phone with high memory, highest display clarity, smooth touch screen panel and many other compared to other phones available in India. It has already got a world wide community which delivered cool applications for iPhones. But it is yet to get a big sales attraction in India though it has been launched year ago.

Why apple fails? Doesn't care the sales in India? Why apple hesitates to land in India firmly? No official stores yet to open. I do not know what apple thinks or what business pressure it has with Indian mobile market. I feel the below

1. It is price tagged huge (200$ in US should be priced below Rs 12,000. But now the 8GB model priced Rs.31,000 and 16GB is Rs.35,000 (approximately 660$ and 770$)
2. India is a big market for mobile phones (more than 60% by Nokia). Indians can afford the cost if this is available in rest of the world. Phones with features that iPhone has are available in India. but they are(will be) expensive if apple quoted 12,000 rupees.
3. India has huge GSM market and should not stick with operators. but iPhones are currently with Airtel and Vodafone. (I've changed this point as i didn't know this earlier)
4. I do not think they understand the India mobile market clearly.
   

I like the Apple's strategy with iPod and iPhones. Keep the same name for the upgraded model and the applications have backward compatibility. This is missing in current Indian mobile market. Every phone behaves its own way and interestingly we have hundreds of model actively available. Few options apple can consider

• Reduce the price as they can sell more.
• Should not tie up with service operator.(I know that there are many to disagree with this point)
• Apple can have more direct stores.
• Design sales and marketing strategies FOR India